A Flexible Layer One (FLO) protocol layer, based on the same specifications for a FLO protocol layer provided for UTRAN (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network), is currently being developed for GERAN (GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)/EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution Radio Access Network). For signalling at least, FLO must support data transfer in acknowledged RLC (Radio Link Control) mode. Incremental redundancy, as used in selective type II hybrid ARQ, available in EGPRS (Enhanced General Packet Radio Service), is a powerful means by which to enhance link level and system level performance of data transfer in acknowledged RLC mode. In incremental redundancy, upon reception failure, the retransmission of a data block is not identical with its initial transmission, but instead a different puncturing pattern is used (i.e. some bits of a block already encoded for forward error correction are either punctured so as not to be transmitted or are repeated, thus providing the number of bits required for the transmission time interval in which the block will be transmitted, i.e. thus providing a rate-matched encoded block), and when the original transmission and retransmission(s) are combined, the result is increased redundancy and a greater likelihood of forward error correction by the receiver. The existing rate matching algorithm for FLO does not allow incremental redundancy to be used. For the same encoded data block, the rate matching algorithm always produces the same puncturing pattern.
Thus, the prior art does not teach providing incremental redundancy (selective type II hybrid ARQ) for FLO, either as it will be implemented in GERAN or as it is implemented in UTRAN; to provide incremental redundancy requires rate matching of the transport channel to the physical channel, and what is needed is, ideally, a simple and efficient way of providing such rate matching so as to provide incremental redundancy with FLO, either in UTRAN or GERAN.